


Three times Mona Vanderwaal and Paige McCullers were there for each other

by Miss_Vanderwaal



Category: Pretty Little Liars
Genre: F/F, alternative universe, side fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-26
Packaged: 2018-11-14 21:28:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 9,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11216607
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miss_Vanderwaal/pseuds/Miss_Vanderwaal
Summary: They were, oh, so different; but in the end, not so much.





	1. Sorority

**Author's Note:**

> "Addison is in the top five most annoying and unnecessary characters in PLL history, how can she be in your story?". Well, I agree with that, but bear with me. This story is sort of an addendum to Until Dawn, that is essentially a Vandermarin fic of mine in which Hanna and Mona are from different states (Pennsylvania and Hawaii, respectively) and meet for the first time when they're in their twenties. Therefore, I needed "another Alison" for this one and the brunette version of her came quite in handy.
> 
> Now, in Until Dawn, Mona has an ex, and I thought of her being just a random girl at first, but then, God knows why, I decided she would be Paige. I guess that was because I do think they have some things in common, like the bullying they both went through when they were younger. Plus, I really felt my heart melting by the fact that Paige went to talk to Ali before leaving Rosewood for good in 7x15. It was such a sweet thing to do and this story is the way I found to honor Paige's nobility and say that I've always kind of liked her.

   They were only two days into the school year and Paige was already not feeling like doing her math exercises, even though those were simple algebra ones, at least for the time being. She was focused half on doodling on the last sheet of her notebook and half on glancing ever so briefly at one of the new students; a girl sitting just a few desks away from her, near the teacher’s desk.

   It was only the second day of sixth grade, practically everyone was still quiet, keeping their heads down and pretending to be angels fallen from Heaven. There was something genuine about that girl’s behavior, though. She seemed to be actually engaged in doing her exercises. She was discreetly using her fingers to help her with the counting and sometimes she would let the bottom of her pen rest on her lower lip while she was thinking. It was all adorable.

   The girl’s name was Mona, Paige had learned the day before with the whole class. She had come from another elementary school in Honolulu and she had this long and powerful last name that sounded like the title of an Oasis song. Vanderwall, maybe? Paige didn’t know if that was the correct spelling of it. The point was that Paige had spent almost the entire last day trying to come up with a way to start a conversation and maybe even a friendship with Mona.

   Of course, she hadn’t been able to come up with anything because, unlike Mona, who seemed to be shy in a cute way, Paige was shy in a way that made her think that she had a sickness. Maybe that was why she didn’t have any real friends, only people who were nice to her sometimes.

   Her little sister, Carolyn, was the closest thing she had to a best friend. Paige loved her, for sure, but the ten year old brat was already _so_ different from her. For starters, Carolyn liked wearing earrings and makeup – their father didn’t let her wear makeup at all, but she always carried a tube of pink lip gloss to school anyway, inside her pencil case. Also, the youngest McCullers already had a considerably large group of friends.

   Sometimes Paige did wonder if being girly was sort of a requirement to being popular. It probably was because Addison Derringer – a twelve year old who acted like she owned the school – put on pounds of makeup every morning and everyone worshiped her. Well, almost everyone. Paige was one of the few kids who felt like throwing up every time Addison walked past them, and not because Addison’s presence scared her or made her nervous; simply because the girl was utterly disgusting.

   Speaking of the Devil’s daughter, the teacher had excused herself to go to the bathroom and Addison and her possy’s low voices were all there was to hear in the room. The long-haired brunette was bragging about how her body had developed over the summer and the girls started to compare their bra sizes. Paige rolled her eyes, wishing she could stuff her ears with cotton. If _that_ was what it meant to be a girl, Paige was more than sure she wasn’t one.

   Mona, on the other hand,  had apparently finished doing her exercises and kept glancing at the center of the classroom, where the group of girls was, with a tiny smile on her face, as if she was finding the conversation funny and/or wanted to engage on it. _Naïve new girl,_ Paige couldn’t help thinking.

   Addison caught Mona looking at her and smiled rather sweetly. _Fake bitch._ Mona obviously didn’t notice the falseness on that expression because her own smile widened. Sadly, Mona would learn about it the hard way, sooner or later, like Paige had. Like people like them always did.

   Addison had shown Paige she had issues with bipolarity back in fourth grade, when inviting Paige to play one-on-one field hockey with her during recess. Paige had scored three times right from the start.

\- You gotta lemme score sometime, McCullers – Addison had commented then, smiling and seemingly impressed. 

\- I don’t _let_ people score – Paige had responded, proudly. She had planned it to be a joke, but it hadn’t come out that way, apparently, and Addison got mad, especially after Paige scored a fourth and a fifth time in a row.

   Next thing Paige remembered was Addison calling her _pigskin_ and herself pushing Addison to the ground after that.

   Paige’s parents hadn’t liked her response to Addison’s insult because “kids will be kids, you just have to ignore them when they’re mean”. But Addison’s meaness wasn’t just a childhood thing. The girl kept on treating most people as inferior to her and, now, the only thing Paige wanted to do was tell Mona to stay away from her.

   Addison rose from her seat to get her pencil sharpened – but really to get boys to look at her while she walked – and, on her way back to her seat, she stopped by Mona’s desk, smiling at the girl again.

\- Mona, right? – she touched one of the girl’s neatly fixed braids, fondly – I like your hair.

   Mona grinned immediately.

\- Thank you! Yours is beautiful, too.

   Paige’s mouth fell open, partly in fear for Mona, but also because a girl who she supremely hated was showing her how easy it was to start a conversation. All it took was the simplest compliment on Earth.

   Mona and Addison’s little chat extended itself quickly – Paige didn’t know how because she was busy repeatedly calling herself an idiot – and soon enough Addison was asking Mona what bra size she wore, as if it was some ridiculous iniciation to get into an all-girls club.

\- Oh, I’m not sure – Mona responded, casually. – My mom buys them for me and I don’t usually care about looking at the tags. Besides, I don’t wear bras that often – she paused to glance down at her flat chest. – I don’t need them yet.

   The second Mona concluded, Paige knew that such candor would have a salty price.

   Addison shrugged, as if it was no big deal.

\- Well, some of us just develop a little slower in some areas, don’t we? – she touched Mona’s braid once again as the teacher came back into the room – See you ‘round, Mon.

   Paige didn’t dare turning her head to look at Addison; she didn’t dare lifting her gaze to meet the hurt on Mona’s face, too, when Addison started giggling with her friends, calling the new girl a loser.

   Although, rage began bubbling up inside Paige’s stomach. She crumpled the bottom of the last sheet of her notebook in spite of herself. One day Addison would get what was coming to her from karma – which was a bitch, just like her –, but until then, Paige wished she could twirl that pretty little hair of Addison’s around her fist and bang the girl’s head against the corner of the teacher’s desk.

   When school was done for the day, Paige saw something from the top of the school building’s staircase that literally paralyzed her. Mona was being cornered by three older boys; repeaters and friends of Addison’s, Paige acknowledged. Panic was making the shorter girl’s face look sheet-white.

\- Trustworthy sources told us that there’s a little girl around here who doesn’t like wearing bras – a curly-haired boy said. His deep voice was so full of lust that Paige indeed felt like throwing up, but out of pure panic as well. She wasn’t able to get her own legs to move.

   Mona took a couple of feltering steps back but another one of the bunch held both of her wrists.

\- Nothing bad’s gonna happen to you – the second boy spoke, already pulling Mona to the back of the school building. – We just wanna see your little peaks. And we promise we won’t tell if you don’t tell.

   Mona was so scared that Paige could see in her eyes her inability of crying for help. Suddenly, as if God had given her a breath of life, Paige ran – faster than she had ever run – back into the school building. They had a headmistress instead of a headmaster, and Paige would learn in the future that the feeling of relief and gratitude that hit her once she got to the woman’s office had to do with a thing called sorority.    

   The woman yelled “what the hell is going on here?” before something really, _really_ terrible happened to Mona. The boys would get expelled, the headmistress informed out loud as the three of them were following her up the staircase. One of them gazed at Paige with eyes that said something along the lines of “I’m gonna kill you”. Paige smirked directly at the boy, ready to give him the finger, but the sound of Mona catching her breath close by caught Paige’s attention before she could do so.

   The shorter girl had two tears streaking down her face, one on each side. Paige’s heart clenched.

\- Are you okay? – she asked as carefully as she could, touching one of Mona’s shoulders.

   Mona looked up at her, sniffed and threw her own arms around the other one’s shoulders in a tight hug.

\- Thank you so much.


	2. Imagine how the world could be (so very fine)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Facts of Life and Imagine Me & You (two of my most favorite things on Earth) are referenced here.

**One year later**

 

   Like every human being on the planet, Paige had always loved Fridays, but, since Mona Vanderwaal came into her life, her love for those days reached a higher level. That was because Friday was her and Mona’s official beach day. It was the one day of the week when they each put a towel, a swimsuit and a pair of flip flops into a separate bag and didn’t worry about a thing at all after school, taking the rest of the afternoon off at Waikiki Beach.

   It wasn’t exactly the immaculate place Paige wished it was – there were often too many turists there taking pictures of everything, not to mention the kids from their school and other ones, who also used the location as an escape from their ordinary chores –, but it made her feel grateful for being Hawaiian every time she jumped in the water.

  They threw their bags and backpacks onto the sand that Friday, as always, before getting rid of their regular clothes and racing to a spot in the water far enough from the dazzled turists and frenzied kids – much like themselves.

   Swimming wasn’t Mona’s greatest skill – while Paige was on their school swim team and would soon start to compete against other schools in the county –, but she was just as in love with the other beaches around the island and with the ocean in general as Paige was.

   Actually, they were like that – different but not so much – in a lot of aspects. For example, Mona _loved_ – with a lot of _o’s –_ old movies, from silent ones to the ones with Audrey Hepburn in them. Paige thought they were kind of boring but she would always watch them with Mona anyway because friends did that. On the other hand, Paige _loved_ – again, with lots of _o’s –_ one old thing in particular – not as old as Mona’s favorite movies, but still –, which Mona had only vaguely heard of before getting to know Paige, and that was The Facts of Life.

   Paige had all nine seasons on DVD and Mona had watched them all with her months ago because friends did that.

\- Jo reminds me of you – Mona had commented once, on one of the many afternoons they had spent binge-watching the show.

   Jo Polniaczek was this tomboyish character who repelled almost all said feminine things. Of course she would remind Mona of Paige.

\- Very predictable – Paige had replied then, acting nonchalantly when in reality she was glad that Mona thought she was somehow remarkable.

   Another thing in which they were different but in the end not really: they both loved diving, but Paige didn’t care about getting water in her ears while doing it; Mona, on the other hand, dreaded it – Paige would sometimes call her a sissy just to tease her. Thank God for ear plugs, though. Mona wouldn’t ever dive without them and Paige liked to watch as she moved under water. The girl’s long black hair would dance with the waves, making her look like a mermaid.

\- I wish every day was Friday – Mona said, sighing, after coming back to the surface.

\- You could say that again – Paige gave her a small and slightly sad smile. – I love practice but I do wish I had more time to do _this_.

   They were in middle school now and Paige had started having swim practice four days a week. She indeed loved it; it was sort of addicting trying and breaking her own records in the pool and making her coach proud of her, but _nothing_ made her feel better than swimming purely for fun with Mona.

\- Do you promise you won’t forget me even when you’re thirty and your bedroom walls are covered with gold medals? – Mona asked after a beat.

   The softness in the girl’s words caught Paige by surprise, so much so that her cheeks felt warm. She playfully splashed some water at Mona’s face just so she would have a little extra time to think about her next words.

\- You writting best-seller books out of those mystery short stories of yours and forgetting about me is more likely to happen first.

   Even though Paige was trying to humorfully change the subject – so Mona wouldn’t realize she was blushing –, it was true. Mona had an undeniable talent. For starters, she loved reading; she had shelves and more shelves of all kinds of books in her bedroom – but mainly suspense and mystery ones. Then, with all that knowledge in the back of her mind, she created stories of her own. Beautiful stories that inspired Paige to get more into reading – something she had never been too crazy about. Yes, success was definitely ahead of the girl who, every now and then, taught Paige a new big word.

\- You didn’t answer my question – Mona protested, splashing some water back at Paige’s face.

\- Fine – Paige said, giggling, and then her tone softened. –I’d forget how to swim before I forget you.

   Mona smiled, seemingly pleased with the answer, and Paige was almost sure she saw Mona’s cheeks turn pink for a second.

\- Good.

   They played around in the water for a while longer and then walked back to the spot on the sand where their stuff was. Mona took her ear plugs out, putting them back into their little plastic case, and grabbed her towel.

\- I think those things are losing their grip or something – she tilted her head to her right and then to her left, to try and get rid of the water that probably wasn’t even in her ears.

   Paige laughed at how annoyed Mona seemed to be.

\- Stop being so paranoid – she told her, starting to wipe her hair as well. – You’re seventy percent made out of water. It’s more your friend than your enemy.

   Mona frowned at her, and Paige foresaw a sassy comment coming from the girl.

\- Isn’t that what a bumper sticker on your coach’s car says?

   Paige gave Mona a little side push in response to that.

\- Shut up.

   Mona did the same thing as they both laughed.

\- You shut up.

   They resumed wiping themselves, put their light clothes back on and stepped into their flip flops to go home, as always. A typical yet perfect Friday afternoon in their book, except for one minor detail. Addison Derringer was there now, nearby, seated by herself on a beach mat. She had sunglasses on top of her head and a book in her hands, which she glanced up from when Paige and Mona walked passed her.

\- So, girls, when’s the wedding?

   Addison’s tone was annoyingly casual. Paige’s jaw tightened but she kept walking. _Ignoring is good for your heart,_ it had been her daily mantra when it came to Addison for ages now, _ignoring is very, very good for your heart._

   Mona, though, was the one who stopped walking.

\- Sorry, what was that? – she forced the exact same intonation.

   Most of Paige wanted to stop the smaller brunette by pulling her away from the other one, but still she was proud of how strong Mona had become over the course of one year. Having a true friend often did that to people. But, while _strength_ to Mona in general meant sassiness, the word to Paige meant self-control – because of her friend, she had learned not to be so impulse-slash-violent. Another difference that completed their relationship in the end.

\- I hope the laws are changed by the time we’re all adults – Addison said in a lower voice, almost as if she meant it. – Am I gonna be invited to the wedding if they are?

   The possibility of Addison and her possy calling Paige and Mona _lezzies_ behind their backs wasn’t too far off to them; in fact, those girls said that with their eyes whenever each of them took turns to glance at Paige and Mona and whisper things to each other, with equally annoying little smirks. But Paige and Mona had never bothered with trying to hear what was constantly being whispered about them. Until the moment, apparently.

\- Gee, you know what, Addison? – Mona’s smile was bright and Paige couldn’t tell if she was faking it or not. – You’re not only gonna be invited, but I think we both want you as our made of honor, right, babe?

   With that, Mona grabbed Paige’s hand, pulling her a little closer. The swimmer’s mouth fell open. _What are you doing?,_ Paige’s widened eyes asked.

\- Because, of course, you brought us together in the first place and a gesture like that is worthy of praise – Mona added as if she was delighted to see Addison’s reaction to that; it was clearly the face of someone who didn’t know what to say. At last, she moved her fingers in a mocking wave. – Ta-ta.

   Even though Paige was perplexed by what had just happened, she waited until they both were sufficiently away from Addison to let go of Mona’s hand.

\- What in the name of hell was that?!

   Mona grinned proudly.

\- It’s good to see people like her at a loss for words, isn’t it?

   Paige still had widened eyes and parted lips. It was as if Mona had just had the time of her life rubbing their fake girlfriend-and-girlfriend relationship in Addison’s face. 

\- Are you… aware of what you just said?

\- Oh, come on – Mona waved her hand dismissively. – Even _she’s_ smart enough to know that was just a way of taking in stride all the crap she throws at us. It’s called sitting pretty while she realizes she can’t get to us anymore, if you ask me.

   Paige stopped to analyze that explanation. It made sense – a lot more than she would like to admit –, but something about “agreeing” with Addison’s assumptions about them, even if it was just for pretend, simply didn’t feel right to her.

\- Besides – Mona added, giving Paige a warm sideways look –, would it be _that_ terrible getting married to me?

   The girl was clearly joking; she had that “tell me how awesome I am” expression on her face. Although, there was a velvety tone to those words, a very subtle one, and it made Paige’s stomach tingle a little.

\- You know what I mean – Paige excused herself, softly. – I just don’t like people assuming things about me, about us, that are not true.

   Mona took a few steps in silence, looking down at the sand.

\- Paige, let met ask you something – her tone was completely different now, one that moms would have whenever they got disappointed in their children. – Would you hate if we were considered lesbians all through middle school?

   Paige’s eyes widened again. _Where is this talk coming from?_

\- Yeah, I would – it seemed like such an obvious answer. – Because we’re not lesbians. They have no reason to keep offending us like that.

   Mona chuckled humorlessly and _that_ was when Paige realized Mona was hurt. She desperately wished she could take back her last sentence.

\- So you think it’s an offense being called a lesbian when you’re not one – it was an assumption full of clear disappointment.

\- No – Paige was quick to jump in, one more time excusing herself. – Of course not, it’s just…

\- Look, I adore Mr. McCullers – Mona cut her off, and Paige frowned, at first wondering what could her dad have to do with that whole conversation –, as much as I adore every member of your family, but you have to admit that his views… tend to lean a little to the conservative side. Sure, he’s a deacon. Being like that is part of most deacons’ job, but still.

\- What are you trying to say? – Paige asked, although she very much knew what Mona was trying to say.

   It was as if Mona had read Paige’s mind because the swimmer had thought of her father while saying that she, yes, would hate being considered a lesbian all through middle school. If that kind of rumor ever got to the ears of Nick McCullers, he would most likely put Paige in another school.

\- That I’m afraid you’re gonna become like him in that aspect. And I don’t like that possibility one bit.

   Mona sounded somewhat angry now.

\- I’m not homophobic – Paige defended herself, although that didn’t feel like the most genuine statement to her for a couple of reasons; A, she was, in fact, used to look away whenever she saw two men or two women holding hands in public, and B, that exact statement was something her father said before the words “I’m simply not one to condone their behavior”.

\- I’m not calling you homophobic – Mona’s tone softened. – Let’s just say you’re still uneducated on the subject.

\- And how do I educate myself? – Paige asked, slowly yet determinedly, as if she was an alcoholic asking for the nearest address where AA meetings were held at.

   Mona smiled, as if satisfied with the progress.

\- Well, I’m assuming you’ve never watched any lesbian movies. Is that right?

\- Yeah – Paige answered, aware that it sounded like an “eew” was hidden somewhere in that intonation. She was not proud of that, though. – Have you? 

   Mona looked at her again and a bit of that warmth from before was in her eyes. She smiled once more, just barely.

\- Would you think I’m a freak if I said that I have?

   Paige stopped walking immediately to grab her hand.

\- I would _never_ think you’re a freak, Mona, no matter what – and this time she knew in her heart that it was the most genuine statement ever.

   Mona looked down at her own hand in Paige’s and tenderly squeezed the two a little tighter together.

\- Good – she said, just like before in the water, and the softness of that word, together with the warmth of Mona’s palm, made Paige feel as if her entire body was blushing. – I wanna lend you a movie that’s one of my favorites not only in the lesbian category. And I’m not gonna watch it with you because I really want you to think throughout the whole thing on your own, okay?

   Paige couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed; watching movies – or anything at all, really – without Mona wasn’t even half as fun. She agreed, though, and they swung by Mona’s house for the girl to lend Paige the DVD.

\- Remember to keep an open mind, please – Mona advised her, keeping the DVD close to her chest for a moment, as if it was some kind of preciousness.

   Paige laughed.

\- I’m not gonna throw it out the window if I don’t like it, chill out – she took the thing from Mona’s hands and stopped to analyze the cover.

   _Imagine Me & You. _It looked just vaguely familiar to Paige, at least on the outside. There were four people in the cover picture with their backs facing the observer; two men-and-women couples. The two women – one of which was wearing a wedding dress – were holding hands behind their partners’ backs and the subtext below the title read “there goes the bride”. Paige felt instantly sick to her stomach.

\- I’m not crazy about the cover either – Mona said, seemingly noticing that Paige’s reaction to it hadn’t been the best one. – It makes Rachel and Luce look like homewreckers. And they’re not. Trust me.

   Paige met Mona’s eyes after that final plea; hopeful little honey brown eyes. Mona definitely wanted to make that strange feeling of discomfort in Paige’s stomach, which she didn’t even know was there, disappear. And Paige wanted it to disappear too because she couldn’t stand the thought of her best friend being disappointed in her.

\- Do you want a written review or should I just call you when I’m done watching? – Paige joked, getting a laugh out of Mona and then a goodbye hug from her.

\- Just call me.

   Paige put her swimsuit in the washer and took a quick shower before going to her room with the thought of _getting it over with_ in her mind. She was placing the disc into her DVD player when she heard her sister’s lighthearted voice at the door.

\- Hey, what are you gonna watch?

   Paige’s heart went up to her throat. She hastily flipped the DVD case over on the floor and looked up at Carolyn’s figure beside her.

\- A movie for a school project – cheapest lie ever, but her voice didn’t falter while telling it, so she was somewhat proud of it.

   The red-headed girl tilted her head a little to her left, intrigued, trying to read whatever was on the back cover of the case.

\- You’re doing a school project on Imagine Me & You?

   Paige was trying to think about her next lie, but then she frowned. Carolyn had pronounced the title of the movie in a too knowing way.

\- Do you know that movie?

   Carolyn shrugged.

\- I’ve heard of it. People say it’s cute.

   _What kind of movies are fifth graders watching these days?_ , Paige was about to ask, thinking of her sister’s friends given the word “people”, but Carolyn’s lips were curved up in a tiny smile, as if saying that there was absolutely nothing wrong with Paige wanting to watch a movie like that one. It made Paige almost smile as well. Carolyn wasn’t like her, that was a given; she wasn’t like their father. She had this admirable free spirit already. That was why she and Paige were such great friends. That was why Paige didn’t kick Carolyn out of her room when the girl asked if they could watch the movie together.

\- What’s your project about anyway? – Carolyn crossed her legs indian style on Paige’s bed as the oldest pressed play on the remote control.

\- Homophobia – Paige glanced at her sister, smiling confidently now. It wasn’t a total lie after all. – And how bad it is.

   The movie ended up being a lovely british romantic comedy instead of a nearly ninety-minute lesbian make-out session, like Paige had feared it would be. She and Carolyn stayed quiet during practically the whole thing, only laughing together here and there.

   For one singular moment in the movie, though, Paige felt like she was in the scene, experiencing the angst that the two main characters shared. In it, Rachel, the one with the husband, was telling Luce that they couldn’t see each other anymore. They hugged, Luce whispered “please, don’t forget me” and Rachel whispered back “I won’t remember anything else”. Right then, a wave of _something_ hit Paige so hard that all the hair in the back of her neck bristled.

   “Do you promise you won’t forget me even when you’re thirty and your bedroom walls are covered with gold medals?” “I’d forget how to swim before I forget you.”

   Was she crazy to think that there were some very serious correlations? 

\- Oh, I knew I knew this song – Carolyn stated in realization as the names of the actors started popping onto the screen, together with clips of their respective characters’ happy endings.

   Paige started listening to it closely after her sister’s comment.

  

   _Imagine me and you_

_I do_

_I think about you day and night_

_It’s only right_

_To think about the girl you love_

_And hold her tight_

_So happy together_

_If I should call you up_

_Invest a dime_

_And you say you belong to me_

_And ease my mind_

_Imagine how the world could be_

_So very fine_

_So happy together_

  

   It was such an upbeat song and, as it played along with final credits, Paige had only the images of her and Mona running on the beach, either chasing each other or racing to the water, always with ear-to-ear grins on their faces. 

\- Is there really a school project? – Carolyn asked as a soft no-lyric melody started  accompaning the credits.

   There was that knowing tone again. Carolyn was a lot smarter than most eleven year olds out there. Sometimes Paige thought it was annoying – Carolyn loved acting like a smartass for her own advantage –, but most of the time the swimmer was glad she could talk to her little sis about nearly anything and she wouldn’t feel little at all to her.

\- Oh, there’s a project – Paige gazed at the youngest, smiling again. – It is about homophobia awareness but it’s not a school one. It was Mona’s idea.

   With that, Paige knew she didn’t have to say anything else. Carolyn smiled as well, as if she had gotten the whole reason behind it all; their father and his world views. It looked like Carolyn wanted to say something in response to that, maybe an “aaw”, but a couple of knocks on the door cut their conversation short.

   Ironically enough, it was Nick McCullers telling them that dinner was ready. Paige quickly turned off the tv, even though there were just tiny white letters across the screen now. Nick glanced at it and then down at the DVD case that was still on the floor. Paige froze completely.

\- Based on how well I know you two, I’m guessing you were gonna leave this on with the disc in it – he stated, although not actually sounding mad.

   Paige hid her face in her hands as her father crouched down in front of the DVD player to get the disc out and put it carefully back  in its case. It was only a matter of seconds.

\- Who did you girls get this with? – he asked, showing them the cover of the movie as if he was holding a report card with shameful grades on it. _Do any of you care to explain what is this about?_

   Even though Paige was shaking with fear, she did internally question the way Nick put his own question together. Of course. There _had_ to be an influence, _always_. There was always someone out there ready to currupt his perfect and righteous daughters. He was always looking for somebody to blame.

\- No one – Carolyn jumped in, trying to sound as lighthearted as she could and giving back Paige’s ability to breathe. – I wanted something different to watch, so I stopped by a video store on my way home today, saw this one and got curious about it.

   _I’ll make your bed for a month_ , Paige was about to promise as a thank you for that brilliant butt-saving. She didn’t even want to think about how her father would’ve reacted if she had told him that it was Mona’s DVD right there. He had always thought of Mona as a good girl, but a man’s mind could change. For the worst, in Nick’s case.

   The man silently glanced at the cover once more and got up, throwing the DVD to Carolyn as if he was disgusted by it.

\- Well, you’re giving it back first think tomorrow – he ordered. – You two are too young to be watching things like that.

   With that, Nick left the room, as well as some pretty thick tension in the air. Paige’s heart was galloping uncomfortably inside her chest. Apparently, to her father, a lesbian romantic comedy ruined a kid’s mind just as gore horror movies did.

   Paige’s mind flashed quickly back to a day not too long ago when she and Nick had run into an old friend of his – an equally religious one – and the man’s daughter at a grocery store. The girl was a couple of years older than Paige was and Paige vaguely remembered playing with her at a playground near a church a few years back. The girl had smiled and waived at Paige then. The swimmer had done the same and, when they were leaving the store, they met again.

\- Don’t look too much – Nick had told Paige once the girl and her own father had passed by them.

\- Why not?

\- Rumor has it that she’s… temporarily lost.

   Paige had gotten the meaning of the word _lost_ in that context instantly – it meant that the girl liked other girls – and, on that day, she had started thinking less of the girl, in the very same way her father was used to.

   Right now, though, Paige felt sick to her stomach again, but for the right reason. She knew that, during all that time, she should’ve thought less of her father, and not of the girl who happened to like other girls. 

   _He hates it_ , Paige said to herself as tears pricked inside her eyes, _he really hates gay people._

\- Hey, don’t cry – Carolyn wiped the first tear that streaked down Paige’s cheek. – Dad can be a pain in the butt sometimes, you know that.

   Paige couldn’t help but laugh trhough her tears. She rested her head on her sister’s shoulder and the youngest’s curly fire-colored locks were the next best thing to a fluffy pillow.

\- I’m glad you’re more like Mom – she said, indeed incredibly thankful.

   Paige’s biological mother had died given complications following the girl’s birth. A year or so later, Nick had met and fallen in love again with Sarah, Carolyn’s mom, who had just as beautiful red hair as her biological daughter and who had been Paige’s mom as well ever since the girl could remember.

   Sarah acted like the peacemaker between the two girls and their dad most of the time. She was the one responsible for the fact that Nick didn’t force them to go to church every Sunday. She was a Christian like her husband but, in general, she kept an eye on him so his faith wouldn’t come before everything else in their lives. It was just like dealing with an alcoholic. Some days Nick would be more easy-going; others not so much.

   Either way, Paige was just as thankful for having Sarah in her life, too.

\- Do you wanna watch the movie again after dinner? – Carolyn asked, in a sneaky tone.

   Paige nodded, wiping her tears away and smiling.

   And so they did.

   Paige found herself enjoying the second time far better than the first one. They both laughed a lot more, too, now that they knew what to listen for when it came to the British accent. And Paige allowed her heart to fully melt during the happy ending, when Rachel scremed “Luce, I can do this!” at the top of her lungs while standing on the roof of a car, before a traffic jam.

   _I can do this._

   It seemed like a clear-cut sign to Paige telling her something _else_ besides “you don’t need to be like your father”, but she didn’t know what that something was yet.

   It was a few minutes past midnight when Paige realized that the reason why she wasn’t being able to sleep was because she needed to call Mona.

   The smaller brunette answered with a casual “hey, what up?”. She never slept early, not even on school nights.

\- You were right about my dad – Paige told her in a low voice even though her bedroom door was closed.

\- What? Did he walk in on you during the main make-out session with all the roses? Damn Murphy’s law. Did he ground you?

\- It’s okay, he didn’t ground me – Paige assured the girl, softly. – He just saw the cover. But then he gave me _that_ look, you know?

   Mona was quiet for a second and the swimmer pictured her biting her lip nervously.

\- Shoot, Paige, I knew I should’ve taken off the cover before lending you the movie. I’m so sorry.

\- Hey – Paige cut her off, then softening her tone even more. – Listen, he has issues. And he, alone, is the one to blame for those. You taught me that today.

   Now, Paige was picturing Mona with a light blush on her cheeks and the thought was making herself blush as well.

\- So how do you like the movie?  

\- It was a hundred percent adorable – Paige allowed her heart to melt once again. – Especially Luce’s screaming technique.

  They both giggled.

\- Why don’t you keep it?

   Paige blinked a couple of times while making sure she had heard it right.

\- No, sweetie, it’s yours – the endearment slipped from Paige’s lips without her consent, but it made her feel warm in the end.

\- I can get myself another copy but I wanna give that one to you. Pretty please, let me. You can rip off the cover or hide it somewhere so your dad won’t see it.

   Paige smiled – because who on Earth would resist _that_ pretty please?

\- Thank you, but I won’t rip off or hide away anything. Screw him. If worse comes to worst, I’m pretty sure my mom and Carolyn will be my human shield. And hey – she said a moment before hanging up –, answering your question from earlier today: no, it wouldn’t be _that_ terrible getting married to you.


	3. Someone about 95% perfect for you

**Three years later**

They were already above Florida. That hadn’t felt like a long flight at all to Paige; those ten hours had simply flown by – no pun intended. And the most unbelievable part of it was the fact that she hadn’t really slept in those ten hours. She had only had a couple of two-to-three-minute naps because her nervousness had been there to wake her up.

   Now that they were almost landing, though, she didn’t feel sleep deprived whatsoever. She glanced down at the violet colored hibicus flower that she had been delicately holding ever since a few minutes before they boarded on that airplane and smiled, thinking, for the umpteenth time, about how beautiful its contrast with Mona’s hair and skin tone would be.

   She couldn’t believe it was finally happening. She couldn’t believe she was finally going to see Mona – meaning touch her and hug her – after two years using mainly the internet to talk to her.

   The girl had to move to Miami with her mom before eighth grade started because her uncle, who lived there on his own, had been in a car accident. Paige had been devastated at first, of course, because _everything_ in her life was easier to cope with Mona by her side. School, her father, the pressure that she put on herself to always be the best in the pool.

   Although, Mona hadn’t left her, not really. Thanks to the holy Windows Live Messenger, they had talked practically every single day in those two years. Paige’s safe place had quickly become a chat window on her computer with Mona’s name on top. They almost never ran out of things to talk about, but when they did, they would simply start playing Uno there, or ranting about the new Coldplay album, or studying together via video chat – because, yes, Paige had a blast even studying with Mona.

   A month ago, though, Paige’s father had gotten a call from the dean of the theology department at Barry University, in Miami Shores, about an open teaching position. And that one call almost made Paige go back to believing in God.

   In fact, now she really felt like she should believe in something because, as the four of them walked through the landing gate at Miami International Airport, she saw Mona waving at them and jumping up and down in pure excitement.

   Paige’s heart did a couple of backflips. She allowed her sister to hug the girl first because she knew that her own hug would be longer and tighter, and, as Paige breathed her best friend in, her eyes filled with tears. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have something that made saying hello so spiritually refreshing.

\- I got something for you – she said with shamelessly wet eyes once she disentangled herself from Mona, putting the stem of the flower carefully behind the girl’s left ear.

   Mona gave her another one of those full of light ear-to-ear grins, touching the petals of the flower and inevitably making it fall to her palm.

\- Oh, sweetie, it’s beautiful! Sorry I didn’t get you anything.

   Paige delicately grabbed Mona’s other hand and swung their arms from side to side, not even remotely thinking about the fact that her parents were right behind her and her sister.

\- You don’t have to pay me back, Mon. It’s a gift. Let it be, pretty please.

   They both giggled and hugged one more time. Paige was glad that Mona had apparently gotten the reference to one of the conversations they had had over the phone three years ago.

   The couple of adults behind Paige and Carolyn also gave Mona hello hugs.

\- Wow, Mona, you sure have done some growing – Sarah commented, fondly running a hand through the brunette’s long and straight hair. – Where are your braids at?

   Mona shrugged, adorably blushing.

\- I prefer saving the extra time of doing them nowadays, Mrs. McCullers.

   With that, they all headed to baggage claim. Nick and Sarah would take a cab to Miami Shores – which was nearly twenty minutes away – so they could unpack at their new apartment. It was about nine in the morning; the girls would spend the day at Mona’s place and their parents would pick them up later in the afternoon.

   It wasn’t until Mona sat behind the wheel of her very own car – which had been her latest birthday present – that Paige realized that her mom had been right a moment earlier. Mona sure _had_ done some growing. Granted, they all had, but Mona’s growing was logically more evident now that Paige wasn’t looking at her through a computer screen.

   The girl’s hair was down and shiny – her old barrettes were nowhere to be seen –, she had started wearing makeup and high heels. Basically, she had become more girly. Not annoyingly girly, like Addison Derringer, but confidently girly. It seemed like she had become the Mona that she had always wanted to be. And that was one hell of an inspiring change. So much so that, nowadays, Paige didn’t find herself repelling almost all said feminine things like she used to. Thanks to Mona and her sufficiently high self-esteem, Paige had started wearing earrings and feeling good about buying certain pretty blouses that fully showed her arms.

   Leona Vanderwaal was waiting for the three of them with warm pancakes. They ate that real breakfast – because what Paige and Carolyn had eaten earlier on the plane couldn’t really be considered breakfast – and talked excitedly about Mona’s major plan for that sunny Saturday, which was them taking a fairly short road trip to South Beach.

   Mona had made that suggestion as soon as Paige told her about her father’s new job oportunity – _it will be the best day ever,_ she had said then, beaming. Therefore, Paige had left the airport with a duffle bag in hand, which had swimsuits for her and her sister, towels, two pairs of flip-flops and another little gift for Mona, which Paige would only give to her once they were on the sand, ready to race to the water like they used to do.

   It was almost noon when they stopped at a McDonald’s drive-through on their way outside the city. Paige didn’t remember when had been the last time she had eaten a cheeseburger-and-fries combo. Her old swim coach had always warned them about how fast-food was one of the strongests enemies of athletes. But, _damn_ , it was good, especially because she was eating that meal surrounded by her two favorite people on Earth.

   It was truly impressive how Mona barely looked at the GPS while driving, seeming to know those roads as if they were on the palm of her hand. She probably did know them incredibly well, given that she was taking a summer photography course at her school and her favorite passtime lately was to drive to South Beach and take pictures of literally everything there, from the early morning sky to her pedicured feet in the sand.

\- Too much sunlight – Carolyn groaned as they were looking for a spot on the sand suficiently far away from the dazzled turists and frenzied kids (whether it was in Hawaii or in Florida, they never really seemed to escape those).

   Paige rolled her eyes at her sister, who was frantically applying waterproof sunblock on her face, which was already reddish from the heat.

   Carolyn loved being in the water just as much as Paige and Mona did, but she had always been open and honest about prefering pools instead of beaches. Paige would constantly say to her that she didn’t deserve her title of native Hawaiian.

\- My God, you are _such_ a sissy – the swimmer teased her, then pointing at Mona. – Even more than this one.

\- Shut up – the two girls said in unison, making Paige laugh.

   Once they found a nice spot, Paige collapsed on the sand, pretending to be exhausted from that short walk.

\- Wake me up when you kids are ready to go home – she said, lying on her back and using her duffle bag as a pillow. She was actually a little tired, given that she hadn’t really slept the night before, and, if she was alone, she would probably consider taking a nap there.

   Carolyn rolled out a beach mat beside her and sat on it, sighing dramatically – one more reason why beaches weren’t the girl’s favorite places was because she hated sand on her skin; it was practically an OCD thing.

\- Crap, I forgot my ear plugs – Mona said after taking off her light flowery dress and revealing a navy blue bikini.

   Suddenly, Paige was fully awake. She knew that the sun didn’t have the power to make people feel burning hot _inside_ , so she admitted to herself that Mona looked jaw-dropping gorgeous. She had never seen the girl wearing a bikini before and she was actually glad that she was lying down at the moment, otherwise her legs would’ve failed on her.

   She closed her eyes for a second and told her heart to stop beating so fast, though, because that was the cue she had been waiting for. She fished the second little gift she had for Mona out of her duffle bag and stood up, smirking.

\- Rephrase that, will you? – she gave Mona the pair of Lilo and Stitch themed ear plugs, which were round and a bit wider on the outside and had a tiny sticker of Mona’s favorite Disney duo glued onto them.

   Mona looked down at the gift and grinned, throwing her arms around Paige.

\- Oh, my God, I love you!

   The girl sounded a little teary-eyed and, even though that had totally been a friendly type of _I love you,_ Paige felt like lifting her feet off the ground and spinning her around.

\- Go on, mermaid – she said instead, unwrapping her arms from Mona’s waist, although she very much didn’t want to. – Plug them in so I can beat you to the water like I used to in the old days.

\- Mermaid? – Mona frowned, opening the small plastic package – You’re the one with the awesome swimming skills, not me.

   Paige shrugged, getting rid of her tank top and beach shorts to reveal her swimsuit.

\- But you’re the pretty one – _and the sweeter one, and the one who has the best voice, the best smile, the best laugh, the best everything._ But she turned around to run to the water before she could say anything else.

   Their little gataway lasted for a few more hours and then Mona drove them back to the city under the sunset. They listened – and sang along – to Just Like Heaven, by The Cure, for about half an hour non-stop, at first screaming and giggling, but then softly and under their breaths, as if the meaning behind the lyrics had started to sink into them.

 

_Daylight whipped me into shape_

_I must’ve been asleep for days_

_And moving lips to breath her name_

_I opened up my eyes_

_And found myself alone, alone, alone_

_Above a raging sea_

_That stole the only girl I loved_

_And drown her deep inside of me_

_You_

_Soft and only you_

_Strange as angels dancing in the deepest oceans_

_Twisting in the water_

_You’re just like a dream_

Paige had listened to that song a few times over the last couple of years and cried while thinking about Mona.

   She shook the sad memories away once they were inside the shorter girl’s house once again, though, because Mona was there now, in all her smiling glory, and, if Paige had to, she would think all gods for that.

\- So, this place has two bathrooms – Mona annouced –, one in my mom’s room, which I’ll use for the next thirty minutes or so, and you two can flip a coin or something to see who gets to use the other one first.

   She concluded in that “make yourselves at home” tone, already going up the stairs.

   Carolyn grabbed Paige’s arm as the swimmer was processing what Mona had just said.

\- Alright, you can go shower first – Carolyn told her in a low voice as Mona was already on the second floor –, just answer me something: am I gonna have to be the one to clash your mouths together?

   Paige’s eyes widened and she frowned, genuinely confused.

\- What?

\- Lilo and Stitch ear plugs? Seriously? Dude, you put a flower in her hair! – the youngest threw her head back in a laugh – I can’t even deal with how cheesy that is.

   Paige began to feel her cheeks and stomach getting warmer. She crossed her arms.

\- Do you have a point?

   Carolyn’s greenish eyes met Paige’s brown ones and the girl put both of her hands on her sister’s shoulders, as if trying to shake her awake.

\- _When_ are you gonna tell her you love her?

   That specific question was asked in a louder voice and Paige got goosebumps for a second, freezing inside with the possibility of Mona hearing it. She hid her face in her hands. That was the kind of moment in which it was precisely annoying to be outsmarted by a fourteen year old.

   Although, in the blink of an eye, that feeling of embarrassment was gone. Paige met Carolyn’s eyes again and her sister’s gaze soothed her. She was on her side. Paige smiled just barely.

\- Soon – she promised, stepping away to go up the stairs as well. – And do me a favor: once you’re up there, take a very long shower.

–

   A few minutes later, Paige and Mona were sharing the shorter girl’s bed. Mona had bought a small pink bottle of soap bubbles from a hawker on the beach earlier, and now Paige was watching, with a goofy smile on her face, as the girl blew them towards the ceiling, giggling.

   No matter how fast Mona grew older, she would always be that tiny human being filled with an impossible amount of cuteness to Paige.

\- Mon? – the swimmer called her very softly, and that tone was enough to make Mona stop blowing her soap bubbles – Do you remember when I told you, a while ago, that I had lost my faith?

   Mona closed the little pink bottle and put it onto her nightstand.

\- Of course I do – she said in the same softness while her lips curved into an almost imperceptive smile.

   Paige tried to breathe deeply through the hammering of her heart.

\- Well, I think… I think you’re giving it back to me. I mean, when you left I got _so_ angry at God. Because how could He take away the best thing that’s ever happened to me? – she paused, noticing that she was already slightly teary-eyed and that it had been the easiest thing saying _that_ compliment out loud – But now you’re here. I’m here. It’s too good to be true once again and I’m not so angry at Him anymore.

  Mona looked down and her smile widened a bit.

\- I know what you mean – she grabbed Paige’s hand and squeezed it ever so gently. – I got scared whenever I thought about not being in the same room with you ever again. I’m so glad life changes for the better sometimes, though. Especially because now I can finally tell you about Noel.

   Paige’s heart stopped for a split second. A boy’s name in _that_ conversation, which was supposed to be only about them both, was probably the most uncomfortable thing Paige had to hear in her entire life.

\- Who’s Noel? – she asked, actually scared of the answer.

   Mona took a careful deep breath this time.

\- Noel is a guy from my school. He invited me to a party at his house a couple of weeks ago and I was thrilled because it was the first time I’ve ever gone to a party like that and because he was cute, you know?

   _No,_ Paige thought with an unintentionally tightened jaw, _I don’t know._ It didn’t surprise her at all that Mona had started going to parties and acting like a real teenager. She was beautiful, and funny, and smart and things were bound to start happening for her. But, now, the predictability of it all didn’t stop it from being uncomfortable to hear.

\- He was giving me all the signals that he was into me – Mona added. – He stayed with me during practically the whole party. We kissed and I was _so_ happy. But then… he just went MIA on me. I called him a bunch of times the next day but he wouldn’t answer. Two days later he told me that we had been just a party thing. _Over text_. And I felt like I could strangle someone. But mostly I felt so _stupid._

   Mona concluded with tears in her eyes, leaning against Paige’s side. Paige wrapped her arms delicately around the girl, not knowing what to say at first. She breathed in the smell of Mona’s shampoo, feeling the girl’s wet hair under her own lips as she kissed the top of her head.

   Paige had wet eyes in regards of that whole thing now as well, because seeing Mona like that broke her heart. If there was only one person who didn’t deserve to suffer in the whole entire world, it was Mona. Those bright eyes certainly hadn’t been made to be filled with sad tears.

\- Okay, I want his full name and his address – Paige spoke carefully and in a serious tone, still holding her best friend.

   Mona looked up at Paige’s eyes.

\- What for?

\- Well, for starters I wanna kick his ass – Paige responded, as if it was the most obvious thing ever.

   Mona chuckled, and the sound soothed Paige’s heart significantly.

\- If you’re gonna kick the ass of every person who breaks my heart, I might as well hire you as my personal body-guard.

\- You might as well – Paige nodded, solemnly, getting another soft laugh out of Mona. – Seriously, Mon, you don’t deserve this. People should bring you nothing but joy because that’s what you bring to people. You’re what happiness would look like if it was a person.

   Paige concluded with a hand fondly on Mona’s cheek. The shorter girl put her own hand on top of Paige’s and gave the swimmer a small smile, which proved that she was blushing.

\- I wouldn’t put it that way, but thank you.

   Paige smiled in return, coyly now that she realized how close their faces actually were.

\- Please, don’t think about that Noel kid anymore – Paige added, a little more lightheartedly. – He’s obviously, like, minus seventy-two percent perfect for you. And, one day, I’m sure you’ll find someone who’s about ninety-five percent perfect for you.

\- Only ninety-five? – Mona smirked, playfully.

\- Well, maybe ninety-seven, ninety-eight, tops. But no, not a hundred – Paige’s tone softened once again. – I don’t believe that there’s one single human being on this Earth who’s a hundred percent worthy of you or capable of understanding just how… endlessly fascinating you are.

   With that, they stopped for a long moment to simply stare into each other’s eyes. Mona seemed to be precisely calculating something, putting pros and cons onto an invisible scale. Then, one of her hands was cupping Paige’s cheek. She kissed her, very softly, as if to confirm her own previous observations.

   Paige kissed Mona back with trembling lips, terrified by the possibility of her suddenly waking up alone in her bed, in Hawaii.

   It was incredibly real, though. Mona’s warm palm was now on her waist, narrowing the gap between them even more. Paige welcomed her by holding her tightly. She still didn’t feel worthy of such a moment, though.

\- Well – Mona breathed out as she pulled slightly away –, I guess I just found my one hundred percent.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I must say that, thanks to this story, I now find myself defending Paige on social media.


End file.
